Leinster are the odds-on favourites for the United Rugby Championship title. However, the Bulls, who stunned them in the semi-finals last season, have also strengthened and should not be written off.
The Bulls shocked Leinster 25-20 in the semi-finals of last season’s United Rugby Championship (URC), but Leinster have strengthened in the off-season to ensure that a repeat does not happen.
The Irish side are odds-on favourites to win this season’s title, but the Bulls have also recruited wisely and the team from Pretoria should not be written off.
With Kurt-Lee Arendse set to be in Japan on a short-term deal from December to May, the Bulls signed Aphiwe Dyantyi to add some depth on the wing.
The Dyantyi signing was a gamble, as he spent four years out of the game with a doping ban. His comeback with the Sharks was underwhelming, but it was always going to take Dyantyi some time to get up to speed.
However, Dyantyi has proven before that he can adapt remarkably quickly to the demands of top-level rugby. Indeed, he was never expected to become a Springbok after failing to even play first-team rugby at Dale College. However, Dyantyi rapidly rose to the top of the international game to win World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award in 2018.
Dyantyi is a gamble worth taking, and even if it does not work as intended, Arendse will be back in time for the playoffs.
The Bulls have beefed up in other departments, too, notably re-signing lock Sintu Manjezi, who beat them in last season’s final with Glasgow Warriors.
Manjezi is one of the most talented locks in South Africa and was widely touted as a potential Springbok until injuries hampered his career, but he proved last season that he can bounce back and have an impact at the highest level.
The Bulls have also signed Cobus Wiese, Nama Xaba, Boeta Chamberlain and Alulutho Tshakweni.
The odds may point to Leinster as favourites for this season’s United Rugby Championship, but the Bulls were not favoured to beat them in last season’s semi-final – and yet, they did.
Both teams have strengthened in the off-season, with Leinster’s signings including RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani.
As impressive as Leinster’s side is, it was a mistake to write the Bulls off in the semi-finals last season and it would be a mistake to do so once again.
